Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS) scheme was recently approved by the Cabinet Committee.
It is an umbrella scheme with 9 sub schemes.
It will be implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) through its institutes.
Its objective is to provide a reliable weather and climate forecast for betterment of society.
It pertains to the atmospheric science programs of the MoES and addresses different aspects of weather and climate services, which includes warnings for cyclone, storm surges, heat waves, thunderstorms etc.
Each of the above aspects is incorporated as 9 sub-schemes under the umbrella scheme "ACROSS".
The schemes will be implemented in an integrated manner by 4 institutes –
India Meteorological Department (IMD),
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM),
National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), and
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Service (INCOIS)
Survey on Biodiversity in Andaman & Nicobar
Zoological Survey of India has recently published a report on faunal diversity of islands of India.
It is the first time in India that database of all faunal species found in Andaman & Nicobar (A&N) island has been documented.
It proves that the A&N island, comprising only 0.25% of India’s geographical area, are home to more than 10% of the country’s fauna species.
There are 1,067 endemic faunal species found only on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and nowhere else.
Some of the endemic species in the island are Narcondam hornbill, Nicobar megapode, the Nicobar treeshrew,the Long-tailed Nicobar macaque, and the Andaman day gecko.
The authors of the publication have highlighted that a long period of isolation from the mainland made the islands hotspots for speciation resulting in hundreds of endemic species and subspecies.
World’s First Genetically Edited Babies
A scientist in China claims to have created the world's first genetically-edited babies using CRISPR technique.
The twin girls born with their DNA altered to prevent them from contracting HIV.
This kind of gene-editing is banned in most countries as the technology is still experimental and DNA changes can pass to future generations, potentially with unforeseen side-effects.
CRISPR
CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats.
CRISPR - Cas9 is the most prominent genome editing technique .
It allows researchers to permanently modify genes in living cells and organisms.
This can be used to correct mutations at precise locations in the human genome to treat genetic causes of diseases.
Correcting the mutation in an embryo ensures that the child is born healthy and the defective gene is not passed on to future generations.
The gene editing tool has two components -
A single-guide RNA (sgRNA) that contains a sequence that can bind to DNA.
The Cas9 enzyme which acts as a molecular scissor that can cleave DNA.
Data City Programme
The programme was launched by the State government of Karnataka in Bengaluru.
The programme aims at solving burning issues of the city using innovative solutions developed by startups from a pool of applications.
It is a 7 month long programme where the corporates, startups, government agencies and citizens will work closely to find solutions of city’s growing issues.
It is the first Data City programme launched in Asia.
The State government has entered into a partnership with NUMA, an international innovation and learning hub, and SUEZ, a France based utility company for this project.
Goat Plague
A smart vaccine has recently been developed for Goat Plague disease by the researchers from UK and India.
The vaccine has the potential to help eradicate goat plague, which causes losses of billions of dollars a year.
Goat plague is a highly contagious viral disease that afflicts goats and sheep in many parts of the country.
It is caused by a morbillivirus in the family of paramyxoviruses, that is related to rinderpest, measles and canine distemper.
It kills small ruminants in large numbers unless they are vaccinated.
Apart from India, goat plague is prevalent in many African countries, West Asia, China and Mongolia.
It is listed in the OIE (World organization for Animal Health) Terrestrial Animal Health Code, and countries are obligated to report the disease to the OIE.
Source: PIB, The Hindu, Economic Times, BusinessLine
